


Wading Deeper

by Mother_Hen



Category: Arc of a Scythe Series - Neal Shusterman
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, Genderfluid Character, Other, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22284811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mother_Hen/pseuds/Mother_Hen
Summary: He knew he couldn’t be the Toll anymore. How could he? He had forsaken the Thunderhead, just as it had forsaken humanity. There was a hole in his chest to counter the weight taken off his shoulders. He felt very sad, as he stood alone on the prow, watching the ocean. He also felt very, very free.
Relationships: Jerico Soberanis/Greyson Tolliver
Comments: 11
Kudos: 51





	Wading Deeper

It was a calm, clear night out at sea. A light breeze rustled Greyson’s hair and blew the smell of salt into his face. He stood on the small deck of the container ship, gazing out at where the moon was reflected in the water. In the distance, tiny pinpricks of light marked the ships full of survivors from the atoll. Jeri and Greyson had taken the lead of the caravan of ships, sailing for the nearest mainland. From there, they would find a safe place to go.

He couldn’t sleep. When he told the Thunderhead it was Unsavory to him, forbidding it to speak to him, he knew it would be difficult. What he didn’t expect, or rather, forgot about, was how strange it was to not have the Thunderhead whispering in his ear all the time. He knew it was watching, always watching, but it couldn’t say anything. It reminded him of when he first saved Scythe Anastasia and was marked Unsavory by the Thunderhead. It was worse this time, knowing that he brought it on himself.

It had practically raised him - taught him right from wrong, praised him when he got good grades at school, guided him along in life - it was like a parent to him. He had always felt closer to the Thunderhead than most people seemed to feel. Everyone knew the Thunderhead was sentient, but Greyson had come to think of it as another person. It could be calculating and compassionate, it had goals and ulterior motives, could be superior while being humble. It knew people better than they knew themselves, not just because it had access to the knowledge, but because it genuinely cared. It loved humanity. It could do no wrong. But Greyson had learned that the Thunderhead was just as susceptible to making mistakes as humans were. It could still hurt people - if not physically, then mentally, emotionally. Although it has no corporeal body, Greyson thought that made it just as human as the rest of them.

If he looked over his shoulder, he would see one of the Thunderhead’s cameras. He wondered if it was watching him. (It was.) He wondered if it would watch what he did next. (It would.) He (almost) convinced himself he didn’t care.

He knew he couldn’t be the Toll anymore. How could he? He had forsaken the Thunderhead, just as it had forsaken humanity. There was a hole in his chest to counter the weight taken off his shoulders. He felt very sad, as he stood alone on the prow, watching the ocean. He also felt very, very free.

“Are you contemplating a leap?” a voice behind him asked, jolting him out of his reverie. “Should I be worried?” Greyson turned around. Jeri was leaning against the side of one of the containers, arms crossed.

“Contemplating a leap, no. Contemplating other things… yes.” Jeri walked up to lean against the railing with him. Jeri’s back was to the water, so Greyson could see Jeri’s face. It was smirking.

“What?” Greyson asked. He hoped he hadn’t done anything embarrassing.

“Nothing. It’s just - I asked Anastasia that when I first met her.”

“You met Honorable Scythe Anastasia and you asked her ‘what’?” Jeri swatted his arm.

“No, dummy! I asked if she was contemplating a leap. She was doing exactly what you were doing, leaning on the railing, looking broodingly out at the sea.”

“Scythe Anastasia broods?” Greyson asked.

“I suppose that’s more what her black knight does,” Jeri said. Greyson laughed because that’s exactly what he could picture Scythe Lucifer doing. Despite the brooding, anyone with eyes could see the two of them loved each other. Everybody loved Scythe Anastasia - even Jericho Soberanis and Greyson himself. Loved her, or loved the idea of her. The idea of falling in love with her.

Jeri stood in front of him now, very, very real.

“Are you going to tell me about those other things you were contemplating?” Jeri asked.

Greyson hesitated. “No. Not right now.”

“You don’t want to get it off your chest? I hear that’s the healthy thing to do.”

“I know, but I’m feeling much happier now.” He locked eyes with Jeri. He felt like his face was an open book, but he couldn’t bring himself to close it. “So, maybe another time.”

Greyson was slowly but surely cataloging each and every one of Jericho Soberanis’s smiles. This one was soft and made the corners of Jeri’s eyes crinkle slightly. It was an open, genuine smile. Feeling brave, he took Jeri’s hand. It was calloused, as he imagined it would be, but still soft, somehow. And warm despite the nighttime chill. He felt like he’d been waiting to hold this hand.

Jeri took a deep breath and searched his face. “This doesn’t bother you?” A woman on land, a man at sea. Greyson found that it didn’t matter either way.

“I just want you,” he said, truthfully, and ran his fingers over Jeri’s knuckles. Jeri took him by the back of his neck, and all lingering thoughts of the Thunderhead disappeared.

**Author's Note:**

> Because I love these two and I just want them to be happy :)


End file.
